Personally, I’ve never lived in a home with a garage. But if the number of press releases I get for products promising a better garage door experience are any indication, those things must be the single most frustrating, annoying, time-consuming point of entry any home could possibly have. The latest — and if I’m being completely honest, one of the neatest — app-controlled garage door opening systems I’ve seen lately is Garageio (and seriously, all I can think when I read that name is, “It’s-a me! Garageio!“).

Garageio consists of a simple Wi-Fi connected box that in you install yourself in a matter of minutes. According to the company, all you need is a screwdriver and a latter. Up to three doors can be controlled by one device, and they don’t even have to be the same brand or model of opener. Once that’s done, you simply download the control app for your smartphone of choice (iOS 4.3+ or Android 2.2+), and enable access for up to ten individual users.

If you’re worried about security, the company’s FAQ has the following:

Is Garageio secure?

Yes. Garageio uses industry standard security technology to keep your data and access to your garage safe and secure. Online communications that take place between you, your Garageio Blackbox, the Garageio mobile phone app, the Garageio servers, and Garageio.com are secured using the same technology as online banking. Sensitive data (such as your password) are stored securely in our databases. In addition, we have put in place numerous security mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access to your Garageio Blackbox. Garageio continues to update our security standards as technology evolves.

I lost my phone! What do I do?

That is terrible to hear! Don’t panic. Send an email to support@alottazs.com explaining that your phone has been lost. After confirming some basic information, Garageio can disable access to the lost device.

Now for the bad news: Garageio isn’t actually shipping yet. The company expects to start filling orders in December 2013 for the $149, but on the upside, there are no monthly fees to worry about.

If you’re interested, you can sign up at garageio.com/updates to get up-to-the-minute news and notifications when Garageio is finally available on the market.

Features

Most people think they have to overhaul a sprawling basement or game room in order to create a true home theater experience. But that’s certainly not the case. You can create a true home theater, a room that lets you escape from the outside world and immerse yourself in top-notch audio and larger-than-life video in so much as a spare room.

AMX-controlled smart home by MediaTech Intelligent Home Systems (www.mediatechliving.com)

Intelligent homes are nothing new. Manufacturers like Crestron, AMX, Control4, Elan, Savant, and others have been playing the home automation game for years, decades even. These OG home automation systems require a custom integrator to install, usually have some hard-wired element, and are intuitive, sophisticated, feature-rich, and highly functional.

You were blessed with lots of windows and your living room has incredible natural light. So what’s the problem? Oh, is glare ruining your TV picture? Read on to find expert advice to fix this annoying problem.

You are trying to watch a film in high-def on Apple TV, your daughter is listening to Spotify while she’s doing homework, your wife is working on her laptop, your toddler is playing on the iPad, and your son is, gulp, doing some serious PC gaming. All this online action can bring your home network to its knees.